When I called Travis Flores, he was in the middle of a three-week intravenous treatment regimen
for cystic fibrosis at a Cleveland hospital.

“I’m used to it,” said Flores, 22, who has the treatments twice a year. “I’ve been doing it
since I was a little kid.”

Ten years ago, the Marietta resident was sick enough with cystic fibrosis, a congenital
condition that affects the lungs and digestive system, to become a beneficiary of the Make-A-Wish
Foundation for seriously ill children.

He is well-remembered at the charity’s Columbus office for making one of the more unusual
wishes: He wanted help publishing a book he had written to inspire other sick kids.

“Most of the kids at the time were wanting to travel to Disney,” said Sophia Morton, the local
vice president of the program. “His wish was unique.”

Make-A-Wish lined up a professional illustrator to work with Flores on
The Spider Who Never Gave Up. It has sold thousands of copies, with the proceeds going to
Make-A-Wish.

Flores’ survival illustrates a misunderstood fact about Make-A-Wish. Although it grants wishes
to children with life-threatening illnesses, most beneficiaries survive to reach adulthood.

“They go on, they graduate from college, they move across the country,” said Morton. “Travis is
a great example.”

Flores was born in California, but his family moved to Ohio when he was 2 to be closer to
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, known for its treatment of cystic fibrosis, said his mother,
Teresa.

He began writing poetry at age 6. At 8, he wrote the book — about a spider struggling to spin a
web — as a way to encourage other kids with serious illnesses to persevere. When he reached 12, his
worried family contacted Make-A-Wish about publishing it.

“His lung functions were dropping, and he was deteriorating,” Mrs. Flores said.

But his health improved, and the book generated a lot of publicity.

Flores soon was fielding invitations to speak at schools, book fairs and corporate events.

He entered Marymount Manhattan College in New York at 16, earned a bachelor’s degree and
recently obtained a master’s from New York University. He is moving to Los Angeles to pursue his
twin aspirations: acting and fundraising. He will always battle cystic fibrosis.

As a child, he said, he didn’t fully understand why a book about a spider would generate so much
attention.

“As you get older and you start to realize ... it’s not about the spider spinning the web. It’s
more about the boy writing the book.”